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Latin America Daily Prayers
A selection of prayers representing Cooperation Circles in Latin America (Day 81 to 62).
Day 81:
Coming to an end of our spiritual visit to Latin America and the Caribbean we pass to Venezuela.
Venezuela was one of the first countries to host URI in Latin America. Members of our CC there, Circulo De Cooperación para el Diálogo CC were very active and committed in the organization of our Regional Meeting in 1998.
They gathered their strengths: “To promote inter-religious dialogue, understanding and harmony, unifying activities for building a culture of peace, moral education, protection of cultural diversity and protection of human rights.”
This is what they say about themselves: “Our principal objective during the years 2002 and 2003 was to have a Luis Dolan Chair devoted to inter-religious studies and intercultural dialogue for peace appointed to the Economic and Social Science Faculty of the Central University of Venezuela. This Chair was created on November 7th, 2001 by the Resolution N 297 of the University Council, thanks to an agreement between the Central University of Venezuela and the Cooperation Circle for Dialogue. Our general purposes are: to develop intercultural dialogue to promote peace, mutual comprehension, forgiveness and reconciliation, to study the biological, psychological and spiritual potential human beings have to build peace, and to educate families and communities about mutual respect, dialogue, fraternal solidarity, cooperation, trust, justice, tolerance and peace. Our Charter brings an agenda for action offered as a guidance for URI activities. One of the areas is “Nurturing Cultures of Healing and Peace.”
Let us support Circulo de Cooperación para el Diálogo CC, working so hard on this track.
May members of Círculo de Cooperación para el Diálogo CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Caracas!
May Peace prevail in Venezuela!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 80:
We are on day 80 today! We are going to support another CC in Peru but this time a cooperation circle that is working in Lima, the capital city.
URI Lima CC was created by members of an organization developing very important social work in Lima that made URI Purpose theirs. This is how they describe their activities: “From the beginning we have had a spirit of amiability. We look forward to have the participation of at least one member of each of the religious expressions in our monthly meeting. We don’t have fixed date or time. During the first meetings we dedicated to read and share opinions about URI. We are now sharing our religious experience about: faith, rituals, ethic, organization and religious feeling. We are planning to have an Open Forum in October in two Universities in Lima. We will share with the audience ethic forms, rituals, faith experience in our different communities.”
Our principle number 4 reads: “We encourage our members to deepen their roots in their own tradition.” How important is to do this in sharing them openly with others! Let us support their respectful and friendly exchange:
May members of Lima CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Lima!
May Peace prevail in Peru!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 79:
We pass to Perú and support in prayer/meditation Amaru CC.
This cooperation circle was created and develops it activities with the purpose: “To contribute to the development and objectives of the URI” in Ayacucho, Perú.
Members of this CC say: “We are dedicated to spreading URI truth with huge perseverance, the same truth that helps us sustain an enduring culture of peace. In addition, our work is oriented toward youth, who are the future of our people. In the short and long-term, we hope to strengthen our CC so as to be able to carry on the plans proposed to the government. We hosted the Spanish Speaking CCs Regional Assembly Practicing Equity, Reciprocity and Naturality in November 2004. It was a great experience of shared wisdom and collaboration. We are planning to develop an apprenticeship program among members of different communities and villages.We, all members of the CC, celebrate International Day of Peace with the community in Ayacucho with media coverage. We will support and orient the creation of new CCs.”
Ayacucho is a village high on the Andes, inhabited by a community of peasents that was deeply wounded by violence in the eighties. It is really impressive that they form part of our community and are so committeded to contributing their wisdom and enthusiasm to our growth and development.Let us support them with our global spiritual strength:
May members of AMARU CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Ayacucho!
May Peace prevail in Perú!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 78:
From México to Panama to support Workshop of Women Artisans CC (Mujeres Artesanas CC).
This Cooperation Circle, the only one for now in Panama, was created with this purpose: “Our group is dedicated to provide a higher standard to the community through art craft. In this way we value what our ancestors have given to us and we help support our living and the education of our children.”
This is how they describe and explain their activities: “We help all the Kuna community. Kuna women do not always have the opportunity to work in enterprises or have a salary. With our activity we help them support the family because some of them are single mothers or mother and father at the same time. We also have capacity building workshops to teach design, how to administrate a small workshop and create markets without intermediaries..." A few days ago received the good news that this cooperation circle was given legal status by the government of Panamá.
It is important that URI can affect communities and help provide a safe space for development. Let us support this amazing hardworking group of women with our prayers/meditation.
May members of Workshop of Women Artisans cc (Mujeres Artesanas CC) fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Panama!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 77:
And now in Mexico we will pray /meditate to support Mexican Interfaith Council (CIM) CC.
Host of URI Regional Assembly in 2002, this cooperation circle has gathered: “To promote tolerance among religious groups and within Mexican society. To develop understanding of the different traditions in the country and act with other projects that reflect the universal values for all humanity.”
In their Description of Activities in the Community Directory we read: “In 2002, our new executive director was elected: following a Sufi woman and a Jewish man, the new director is a Mormon man. In 2003, we held a silent meditation in front of the US Embassy prior to the Iraq War. We met with the president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, in April to offer counsel on interfaith matters. Presently we have been invited by the Interior Department to offer our comments and suggestions on reforms to the Mexican Law governing Religious Institutions. In 2006 we Celebrated the International Day of Peace, in the Park close to the Peace Bell. We gathered the 11 traditions forming part of CIM, and special guests. Each of the Religious Traditions and guests participated giving a speech referring to our responsibility in peace building and work.”
It is remarkable that religious leaders get together to have a voice in society and that they serve the community representing diversity. Let us support their good work:
May members of Mexican Interfaith Council CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Mexico!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 76:
We will pray/meditate to support the only Cooperation Circle that we have in the Caribbean: United Heart CC.
It is true that we havent been in contact with this group that was created “to work for an upright society to all levels and to help URI to go forward” for some time now, but we know that there has been turmoil in Haiti. We hope that they have succedded in their purpose and that we will soon be in communication with them to see how we can support their work. In the meantime let us gather our spiritual strength to support them in prayer/meditation.
May members of United Heart CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Haiti!
May Peace prevail in the Caribbean!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 75:
Still in the South Cone of Latin America we pass from Brazil to the East to support Foro Espiritual de Santiago para la Paz CC created in Santiago in Chile.
This CC was formed: “To promote peace among interfaith groups from different faith perspectives.”
In their Description of Activities in the Community Directory they say this about themselves: "We are an informal group of people affiliated with institutions working from different perspectives in the promotion of peace in personal and social spheres. Our main objective is to serve as a place of encounter, dialogue, and contemplation in action, with complete respect for the different spiritual and values orientation of its members. Our motto is “peace is love made life together.”
In 2006 the two main activities of the Foro Espiritual de Santiago por la Paz (Spiritual Forum of Santiago for Peace) (URI CC) were: 1. Interreligious Prayer for Peace, which the Forum has celebrated around September 21st – International Day of Peace- for the last six years 2. Improving education on ethics and values in public schools. This is a line of work initiated in March 2006 that is trying to make a better use of religion classes for developing in the students an autonomous, generous and responsible moral conscience, respectful of cultural and religious diversity.
In 2006 the Forum studied the situation in Chile. The next step will be a two day workshop called “Education on ethics and values and the religious teaching in Chilean public schools: Learning from the Brazilian experience,” with the collaboration of two Brazilian experts: Andre Porto, URI Coordinator for Latin-American and Sergio Azevedo, Executive Secretary for the National Permanent Forum on Religious Education of Brazil–FONAPER. The workshop has the sponsorship of the Ministry of Education in Chile and URI.
You may have read the report of this last successful activity in this list. Let us pray/meditate to support that they continue finding ways of making their dream (“Our dream is to live the reality that Peace is Shared Love”) come true.
May members of Foro Espiritual de Santiago para la Paz fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Santiago!
May Peace prevail in Chile!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 74:
We will be supporting Rio Inter-Religious Movement CC with our prayers/meditations today.
Those of us that participated in the Global Assembly held in Rio in 2002 might remember that we celebrated the Tenth anniversary of this CC at the end of the Gathering. Andre Porto, Latin America Regional Coordinator arrived in Antwerp 2007 and shared enthusiastically about the celebration of the Fifteenth Anniversary of this group created: “To gather and promote dialogue among religious groups in Rio. To organize interfaith social action and solidarity campaigns.”
This is the description of their work in the directory: “We understand that spirituality is the way to overcome the ethical challenges of the 21st Century...today's serious problems can only be faced through a rediscovery of the existent unity among all beings and cultures, in spite of their differences. Our initiatives and priorities reflect the common sense of over twenty historical religions, traditions and spiritual movements that have participated in the Movement for ten years...We are a project of ISER -Institute for Religious Studies, a non-governmental institution, based for thirty-five years in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Our main activities during 2006 were:
*Sacred Village – Annual event that gathers many religious and spiritual groups during 3 days for interfaith dialog, exchange of experiences and different activities with the public.
*Tijuca Forest National Park – MIR CC is a member of the Park’s council and coordinates the work related with environmental awareness for groups doing sacred practices within the forest.
*Monthly meetings to bring members together, organize MIR’s agenda and calendar of activities
Let us support their sustainned work.
May Rio Interreligious Movement CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Rio de Janeiro!
May Peace prevail in Brazil!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 73:
On our 73rd day of being together in prayer/meditation to support CCs, we will support Grupo Inter-Religioso de Sào Paulo CC.
This, one of the pioneer CCs in Brazil, was created: “To develop dialogue attitudes among religious and spiritual leaders in our city and share solidarity actions with the poor people among whom we live.”
They described their activities of their first years like this: “In 2002, we directed our efforts towards helping to organize the URI Global Assembly in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Through this event, we promoted inter-religious cooperation and dialogue in Brazil. We also extended our activities from the city to other areas of the country. Through our participation in these events and activities, we found that our diverse coexistence was beneficial and inspiring, and we realized that through religion and spirituality it is possible to construct a culture of peace. We actively participated in the creation of a Parliamentary Council of Peace. Now one of our priorities is to create a space for youth in URI and to focus on public education as a path for disseminating a culture of peace.” They have always been very active in developing activities to impact the big and industrious city of San Pablo.
Last year, in partnership with other groups, Grupo Interreligioso de Sao Paulo CC hosted the III Interreligious and Spiritual Retreat for cultures of Peace “Open to understand Nature.
Let us support their good work.
May members of Grupo Interreligioso de Sao Paulo CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Sao Paulo!
May Peace prevail in Brazil!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 72:
Today we will be praying /meditating to support Curitiba CC. This CC was created: "To provide a permanent forum for inter-religious dialogue.”
This is what we read about this CC in their Description of Activities in the Community Directory: “Our CC was founded on July 7th of 2002, in Curitiba, after three days of studies facilitated by volunteers of the CC São Paulo and Rio Inter-Religious Movement CC. Our CC's official name is SUME- Spiritual Movement of the United Hearts. Our group took part in the URI Global Assembly in January of 2002 in Rio and in the World Social Forum at Porto Alegre. We have dedicated our weekly meetings to sharing experiences of wisdom and cultures of faith, as a way to fortify our group. At present we dedicate ourselves to the organization of our office in order to support our mission: to be a permanent inter-religious forum of dialogue and to implement peace education. Our Board of Advisors, which was formed on the 30th of May 2003, consists of seven members from the following spiritual backgrounds: Catholic, Umbanda, Espírita, Sai Baba, Educação Planetária, BahaÍ Faith, and Ananda Marga.”
The effort to cooperate of people of very diverse spiritual backgrounds in Brazil is a good model for the world. Let us support them in prayer/meditation.
May members of Curitiba CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Curitiba!
May Peace prevail in Brazil!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 71:
Still in Brazil, we will support with prayer/mediation Campinas CC today. This CC was created: “To promote unity between religions and peace.”
Their activities include: “We are a group of seven different religious traditions (at the moment), gathered with the purpose of promoting dialogue and cooperative interfaith actions in Campinas, Brazil. We started our activities in November 2004 at the Social Forum of Campinas. Since that moment, we decided to visit each tradition monthly to get to know and experience the various ways of expression of faith in God. Our intention is to create a cooperative network and to show that religions can work, celebrate and live together with the same core values. In 2006 our Main Activities were: Intense work for disarmament and gun control working together with Brazil Disarm Network, Networking with the Campinas County Human Rights Commission, Supporting the campaign 'Faith in Prevention' to engage different religious groups in drug prevention campaigns, Organizing the international day of Peace annual celebration and takes part in many activities and events for the Culture of Peace.”
We can see that they have found very concrete issues to address in cooperative action. Let us support their steady and necessary work.
May members of Campinas CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Campinas!
May Peace prevail in Brazil!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 70:
Today we will be praying/ meditating to support URI Brasilia CC. As its name reflects it is located in Brasilia, Brazil's new capital city (inaugurated on April 21, 1960) and was created to “promote harmony between the many religious expressions of people, emphasizing the importance of the primary spiritual search and the divine conscious platform, as a way to get everlasting peace and universal fraternity.”
This active group was approved as a cooperation circle in January 2006 but as you may see in their description of activities they have been working to support URI expansion in Brazil for several years: “Our first meeting was in July 2004 and the goal was to make Brasilia Cooperation Circle official by the same of that same year. When we contacted the Planetary Union Organization, its associated member Ulisses Riedel Resende who works producing TV programs invited us to help in a new program named 'Dialogues for Peace.' The idea was to interview religious leaders. We finally managed to arrange guests for twenty programs produced and broadcasted national wide. This activity deepened our relation with the groups involved. Another highlight in the process of Brasilia CC creation was the participation of our members in the Religious Diversity Booklet. The goal was to comment the Human Rights Declaration and the National plan for Human Rights from the religious perspective. Subjects as religious freedom and the respect for the diversity were presented in this project. Our contribution to this project was possible due to the disclosure of its proposal along with many religious communities not only in Brasilia but also all over Brazil. Everybody was encouraged to participate in the project which helped us to organize the group concerning the subjects related to inter-religious dialogue.”
It is important that URI can participate in the creation of policies that can benefit the community. Let us support their good work.
May members of URI Brasilia CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Brasilia!
May Peace prevail in Brazil!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 69:
And now we pass to Brazil, host of the last URI Global Assembly, to support Belo Horizonte CC. This CC was created with the purpose of “Fidelity and dissemination of URI's purpose involving the community.”
This very commited group explains: “Our activities began in November, and since then we have organized two main events, with the aim of introducing the URI purpose and principles to the community. During the first event, we had the participation of seventy people, representing more than thirty religious traditions, and in the second one more than five hundred people of the community came to know about URI. Our purpose now is to strengthen our group, as well as to reach out and integrate new people and, together, develop projects with the community.”
Those of us that believe that URI can contribute to the creation of cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and the living beings understand that it is important that many others commit themselves to the expansion of the work towards the acchievement of this purpose. Let´s gather our spiritual strength to support them.
May members of Belo Horizonte CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Belo Horizonte!
May Peace prevail in Brazil!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 68:
From north Argentina to Bolivia. In La Paz we find Confraternidad Ecuménica CC.
This CC has gathered: “To promote the unity of Christians.” They achieve this goal by sharing cooperative work. They have received Regional Trustees and Coordinators and are working together with them to host an Indigenous Meeting and a Peacebuilding Seminar in 2007. They are part of the La Paz Interreligious Table which we hope will soon become a Cooperation Circle.
Their good work is helping to overcome divisions. Let us pray/meditate to support them.
May members of Confraternidad Ecuménica CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Paece prevail in Bolivia!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 67:
Today we will be supporting Qewña Cooperation Circle. This CC was formed by indigenous people with different religious orientation living in Jujuy a province in the north of Argentina.
They are working together with this Purpose: “To provide inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue.”
Deeply rooted in URI Purpose, Preamble and Principles this is how they describe their activities: “We formed with the need of rescuing our heritage of indigenous values and to project them in the search of intercultural dialogue. In URI we value the effort to obtain through dialogue a better understanding among religions and indigenous traditions. QEWÑA works with a lunar calendar related to the feasts of the KOLLA culture of which all of us are a part. Our plan is to include children and youth and help them to be conscious of the importance of dialogue to strengthen the work for PEACE and the care for our Mother Nature-PACHAMAMA.”
Sharing values is something that will take us to a better understanding and appreciation of each other. Let´s pray/meditate to support their very needed work.
May members of Qewña Cooperation Circle fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Jujuy!
May Paece prevail in Argentina!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 66:
Today is Independence Day in Argentinaand we are going to pray/meditate to support Of the Indigenous People of Argentina CC.
This group is worthy of our admiration and has gathered to introduce: “Dialogue as a means to achieve harmony among human beings and Mother Earth. Dialogue with children, dialogue with the different religions, spiritual traditions and indigenous traditions of the world and dialogue with Mother Earth.”
And this is how they describe their activities: “We share the wisdom of our culture and we learn from the different religions and spiritual traditions. We participate in different meetings and events that have to do with the understanding among religions and spiritual traditions. We make the contribution from our vision in actions in favor of Peace in the World. Our dream is to regain dialogue with nature, trees, bushes, sun, moon, stars and air to harmonize ourselves with those that keep us alive.”
In a country where crisis in different stages of our life has caused fragmentation and discrimination it is really remarkable that those who were mistreated raise their voice to teach us dialogue. Let us learn from them and support their courageous work.
May members Of the Indigenous People of Argentina CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in all Indigenous Communities in Argentina!
May Peace prevail in Argentina!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 65:
Closely related to Fundación Proyecto Tercer Milenio CC, we find Misiones Unidas CC in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
This CC gathered different organizations and people actively working in Peace Education “to think over and spread the new paradigms in health, education and enterprise organization under the umbrella of partnership relations.” This CC, together with other organizations organized the Celebration of the International Day of Peace in Buenos Aires on September 21st, 2007. It was a great celebration with an Interfaith Prayer and many activities that involved children participation.
If we are to create cultures of peace it is important that we support education for peace. Let us pray/meditate their good work.
May members of Misiones Unidas CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Buenos Aires!
May Peace prevail in Argentina!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 64:
Still in Buenos Aires we will pray/meditate to support Fundación Proyecto Tercer Milenio CC.
A participant of the URI gathering in 1997 already doing interfaith work, Lic Susi Reich, gathered a group of collegues of different faiths and traditions to create a CC with this purpose: “To work to install new ways of thinking and acting, in the areas of education and peace, spreading new paradigms.”
This is how they describe their work: “Proyecto Tercer Milenio Foundation develops ways to help educate children and youth to create cultures of peace including annual programs and experiential and innovative ceremonies dedicated to help people and school communities understand the deep and transformational qualities of peace. Since 1996, 3rd Millennium Foundation has worked actively for the construction of a culture of peace through dialogue, reflection, roundtables with prestigious specialists and free public conferences. We also publish books and videos in order to expand approaches to new paradigms in education, health and organizations.” Today they are also working hard to integrate different types of medical approaches.
It is important that we recognize and stimulate the change in paradigms that will support our work. Let´s pray/meditate to give them strength to acchieve their purpose.
May members of Fundación Proyecto Tercer Milenio CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Buenos Aires!
May Peace prevail in Argentina!
May Peace prevail in Latin America and the Caribbean!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 63:
Still in Buenos Aires, Argentina we will pray/meditate to support Escuela de Amor CC (formerly EMUNA CC).
This cooperation was created by participants of the URI Gathering in 1997 to: “provide the community a space of encounter with the Supreme Being and Spiritual Support.”
This is their description of activites: “We have weekly meditation gatherings to learn to live happily valuing each other. We organize heart to heart encounters weaving a new coexistence. We are often invited to visit schools to speak about religious identity and interfaith cooperation. Through panels and workshops students at the primary, secondary and university level work together to learn about our different identities as well as the huge possibilities that respect and cooperation can bring. We have written together a prayer book with healing prayers of our traditions and some which might be used by any of us. In 2006 we edited and published an educational interfaith calendar. We are now running an interfaith seminar 'Learning to co exist' and are ready to start publishing bi monthly interfaith papers to be distributed among our community members with reflections from Abrahamic religions about different issues. Number one will bring texts and reflections about: Helping each other, number two: Love. The objetive of these interfaith papers is reaching members of our communities with good news about interfaith cooperation.”
It is important that while we are transforming ourselves that our enthusiasm for interfaith encounters is contagioius. Let us support this important work of interfaith expansion.
May members of Escuela de Amor cc fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Buenos Aires!
May Peace prevail in Argentina!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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Day 62:
Having supported twenty CCs from Europe, as we did from Asia and Africa, we pass to the next region in the directory: Latin America. We will come back to UK in the second round.
We will start praying/ meditating to support CCs in Argentina.
Asociación Intercultural Diálogo CC was formed by the people that organized the first URI Gathering in Latin America and some others that were inspired and driven to interfaith by this wonderful experience with the purpose of “Promoting dialogue and friendship between all people”.
Father Louie Dolan, an Argentine priest collaborating with URI since the very beginning, was convinced that URI should be really global and he was clear that though living in New York he had to bring URI to Buenos Aires, and so he did in May 1997. Interfaith had already started by then in Buenos Aires but URI Gathering gave it new strength and many new initiatives and projects were inspired. Asociación Intercultural Dialogue together with other circles in Argentina is planning to celebrate the tenth anniversary of URI Meeting.
Let us gather our spiritual strength to support this CC.
May members of Asociación Intercultural Dialogo CC fulfill their aspirations and live in Peace!
May Peace prevail in Buenos Aires!
May Peace prevail in Argentina!
May Peace prevail in Latin America!
May Peace prevail on Earth!
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